Once Upon a Mattress

Once Upon a Mattress
by Kathleen Marshall

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Brittany Gray, Carol Burnett, Denis O'Hare, Tracey Ullman, Zooey Deschanel
Director: Kathleen Marshall
Producer: Carol Burnett
Producer: Marc E. Platt
Writer: Dean Fuller
Writer: Janet Brownell
Writer: Jay Thompson
Writer: Marshall Barer
Writer: Mary Rodgers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-12-20
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney

Movie Reviews of Once Upon a Mattress

Movie Review: An Easily Overlooked Delight!
Summary: 5 Stars

Disney brings the 1959 off-Broadway-to-Broadway hit retelling of The Princess and the Pea back to the small screen with their 2005 feature adaptation of "Once Upon a Mattress", and if you're a fan of musical fairytales at all, you should be fully delighted by it! Carol Burnett is back in the cast too, only now she takes up the role of controlling Queen Aggravain, who refuses to accept any princesses vying for her son's hand as worthy to marry the not-getting-any-younger prince. Denis O'Hare plays Prince Dauntless to manchild perfection here, evoking thoughts of the great Ken Berry, while modern comedy queen Tracey Ullman aptly takes up the role living legend Burnett originated, the ungraceful but winning Princess Winnifred. Also on hand in this well-cast version are charming Tom Smothers as the silent King Sextimus, cursed to be mute until "the mouse devours the hawk", Michael Boatman as the Jester who speaks for him, Edward Hibbert as the Wizard who assists the Queen in her schemes, and Matthew Morrison as Sir Harry and the beautiful Zooey Deschanel as Lady Larkin, a couple who must help the prince finally wed so that they may get married themselves. You see, there is a law in the land that no one can marry until the prince does, even though the Queen seems dead-set against that, and this is especially bad for Lady Larkin, who now finds herself a mother-to-be.

And that last plot point illustrates that there is a tad bit of raciness to this story for something carrying the Disney moniker, let alone a musical fairytale as such. Nevertheless, it isn't overplayed, in my opinion (you might have to be a Disney fanatic like myself to achieve any initial shock by it at all), and in truth, as much as I adore Zooey and her singing voice (she and her voice are as lovely as can be in this one), she and Morrison seem to fall into the background a bit upon initial viewings, surrounded by such bold, comedic personalities in the other roles. This film is definitely for fans of Burnett, Ullman, and O'Hare, who are a treat throughout. The songs are all very enjoyable too, and while they are not instantly memorable, some repeat viewings will surely cause some to stick for you, and this IS a film one can watch over and over. It's not one of the most oft performed shows in the country for nothin'! So, if you are a fan of musicals, fairytales, or anyone in this cast, and especially if you grew up on those old Cannon Movie Tales from the '80's Disney Channel as I did, you really should pick this one up! I don't think you'll regret it! Bonus features on this enhanced widescreen DVD include a nice Making-Of featurette with some insight into the play's history, some Behind the Scenes outtake footage, and a couple of rehearsal to film comparisons of the musical numbers "Shy" and "In a Little While". Now, I have read some complaints about songs from the original play not being included in this TV incarnation, so there is the downside that will appear for some longtime fans, but if you are new to the show, it won't be a problem and you'll be in for a well-paced, entertaining fairytale treat that so many of us missed on its quiet TV and DVD debuts!

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Summary of Once Upon a Mattress

Based on the acclaimed Broadway musical, an all-star cast brings a beloved fairy tale to life in Disney Presents ONCE UPON A MATTRESS. Queen Aggravain (Carol Burnett) sabotages the efforts of every young princess who hopes to marry her son, Prince Dauntless (Denis O'Hare) -- and no one else can settle down until he does! Honorable Sir Harry is determined to marry the lovely Lady Larken (Zooey Deschanel), so he sets off for faraway lands and returns with an unlikely candidate: Princess Winnifred from the swamps (Tracey Ullman). It's love at first sight for the Prince, so the Queen sets about planning her most difficult challenge yet. The palace is filled with merriment and mischief while everyone wonders, will Princess "Fred" pass the Queen's test?

The playful 2004 television version of Once Upon a Mattress brings everything full circle for Carol Burnett, who played klutzy Princess Winnifred, would-be fiancee of royal mama's boy Prince Dauntless, in the original 1959 Broadway cast production of the musical (as well as 1964 and 1972 television adaptations). In the new show, Burnett now essays the role of Dauntless's control-freak mom, Queen Aggravain, and is very funny in the part. An Oedipal nightmare, Aggravain is in no hurry to let the prince act his adult age, chasing off prospective wives (and queens-in-training) by putting them through unbeatable tests. Along comes Winnifred (Tracey Ullman, who manages the physically demanding role quite nicely), who turns the kingdom on its head with her goofy charm, sets Dauntless's heart aflame, and poses a serious threat to Aggravain's plans. The fun supporting cast in this tuneful take on "The Princess and the Pea" includes Tom Smothers as King Sextimus, the mute monarch who manages to impart wisdom, Zooey Deschanel as pregnant Lady Larken, who helps bring Winnifred to the castle, and Denis O'Hare (21 Grams) as the boyish Dauntless. --Tom Keogh

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